mcleodganj solo female traveler

That was a real help, I do appreciate !
Thank You

Other places in Bhagsu to stay
@ 9chimes....we had an India Mike member stay there recently...he was quiet happy with it and would be posting his report soon.

There will be much hustle & bustle in Bhagsu in June,if you want Shanti place to stay consider Dharamkot,you can walk down to Bhagsu & Mcleod through the day & Tushita is also up there.KK

i agree with the fact that Mcleodganj is hardly a place to be alone in....if you wish to stay in Mcleodganj, pemathang guest house is a great option...although it is located in the heart of the town, it retain its silent charm somehow! its a cosy little world in itself with none of that din reaching you inside.

thanks a lot priyanka....

cheers.................

But I've heard that dharamkot isn't really safe for a single female traveler, also I'd like to ask for ur opinions about hotel 8 auspicious him view at jogobara and how safe is the location ?
Thank you !!

8 Auspicious Him View is in a good location. It is below the hustle and bustle of the main market. I'd also strongly recommend Pema Thang. It's centrally located yet in a tranquil location. I was lucky enough to stay there for 10 days once. Loved it.

Auspicious 8 Him View is a beautiful hotel in very good location....

Nice discussion going, Its my first day in mcleodganj, last night I was in dharamshala and got a average hotel room near bus stand for Rs 400, and today morning 11AM I checked out and took a bus from dharamshala to mcleodganj, the place is quite good and normal guests houses are available for like 300-400 and 600 for good double bed accomodation, I got myself a hotel on jogiwara road like half KM from downtown for Rs 800, room is quite spacious, nice sofa, great chairs and BEST views to hills, its a little far from main market where loads of guest houses are available, but its spacious with very nice bathroom. For a lone girl this town is no problem, i have seen a couple of lone foreigners wandering at 8:30 night just now on dark streets without an issue, but better be on safe side. I sure recommend a foot massage which i just got from downtown, The worst thing is food quality, but its a problem on everywhere in hills, these people dont know how to make good food and fast food is so yuck, the pastry shops in mid market serve burgers prepared in ancient times, too stinky. but no other options sadly, in dharamshala theres a singh darbar restaurant in walking distance from bus stand I ate food last night and it was the best i ever ate on hills. To sum up its safe steady and nice area to be in, but i dont think one can last here for more then couple days, one day hangout in market is ample to experience everything. Tomorrow I plan to be on bhangsu falls and Dal lake, going to rent a motorcyle tomorrow, I ouldnt renttoday as monday some of shops are closed here. Anything anybosy like to ask, just ask about mcleodgunj as far as I am here I will try to give all infos, and i will stick to this thread till my travel here ends in next 2-3 days

Hey the hotel I currently am in is adjacent to him view.

There is a lot's to explore around Mcleod Ganj....Try the Church of the Wilderness, Norbulingka Institute in Sidhbari (5-6kms from Lower Dharamshala) is a must. Bhagsu falls is a nice hike up the road.
Food - I had plenty of choices during my visit and found it great...
While staying at Bhagsu (Sky Pie) - they served a decent biryani, a little further ahead is Singh's famous for its original Bhagsu Cake (didn't much care of it), but you can get a nice indian breakfast...fresh hot parathas with yoghurt or any side dish you prefer. A little further up, if you trek up the steps and through a rough trail in the direction of dharmkot, you have the famous 'family pizzeria' and that stuff is worth the climb. He also makes sublime deserts.
In Mcleod....you have the Tibet Kitchen (with a nice set up) - the best ginger honey tea i had, serves tibetan/chinese food, common ground cafe tucked in a lane is also very good. The road side Momo's and donuts are fresh...the cake shop on the temple road run by the TCV has a great variety. The cafe at the Green Hotel has an excellent european breakfast.
I never ran short of choices....I find it a little surprising on your food comments...
Of course, there were a lot more - but these were a few i tried and was quiet happy.

Just a walk from Mcleod to Bhagsu is a bliss with the wonderful landscape, walking on the TIPA road, you have the lovely home stay 'Flourish Fauna' and the road ends up at the top near Tushita in Dharmkot.

A simple bus ride from Mcleod Ganj to Dharamshala is exciting..thru the steep curves..it's the cheapest 30min ride with a view.

Never had the chance to visit TCV/Naddi or trek to Truind...but I could happily stay there without getting bored till my money ran out.

For shopping, I found the T-shirts with Dragon motif/Dalai Lama quotes a very good buy...the colors don't run off and value for money under 200 rupees.

To me, it's a magical place - not as commercialized as Shimla or Manali..no touts hassling you on the roads...

A request to all - Do your bit to keep the environment clean and dispose of waste responsibly.
Plastic Bags are banned in Himachal, so do carry your own cloth bag/duffel bag for shopping.

All this talk about food has worked out an appetite for me....

Safe Travels..

Hi Preeti/Sumant,
Was browsing through the site and could not help but notice yours and Sumant's posts. I have been going to McLeodganj for many years now and it is like a second home to me but there is a distinct change in tourist inflow to the place in the past few years. I don't mean to scare you off the trip, but here are some ground realities you should know before you embark on the trip.

Getting to McLeodganj from Delhi is not a problem, but getting around may be, especially since May-end/June is the holiday season in the plains. have been witness to hour-long traffic jams in the main town square during these months. And if you are planning a trip over the weekend, then I would strongly suggest you consider moving it to the weekdays. The reason being a sudden deluge of weekend travellers to the town. Now, this is the most distinct change that I have noticed in the last few years. McLeod was a backpacker's paradise, mostly of foreign origin, so the town had a nice bohemian/out-of-India sort of feel to it. But in the past few years, with the growth of domestic travellers to the place, the town is gradually changing its identity. And this is not just McLeodganj, this is true of many Indian resorts now. So, my point is: there is a chance that you may end up in the middle of something that you want to get away from the city in the first place.

Having said that, let me tell you why I (or for that matter a lot of my friends) keep going back to the place.

- If you an early riser, you can go on heavenly walks above McLeodganj and towards Dal Lake. "Early", because you can beat the general tourists. And the view from places above McLeodganj (Dharamkot, Gallu Devi etc) are brilliant. And these are the kind of walks that the two of you are looking for, I think. You could even walk half-way to Triund and come back.

- There are nice food joints - You can take the backlane of the market and walk down the road (not the monastery road) and catch some nice pancakes, pies and some conti breakfast (Indianised, of course). If you are adventurous enough, you can sample some Tibetan cuisine as well.

- There are nice shops to pick up knick-knacks and souvenirs from.

- There are nice pre-owned bookstores, where you can buy or barter books.

- As for hotels, you should try the smaller ones, they are cheaper and just fine. Because, I assume you will be spending more time outside than inside. If you are game, there are nice backpackers' hotels, where you can actually end up meeting interesting folks from around the world, and will be economical as well.

So the general idea is to stay away from the town in the day time (go on walks, long drive, visit other parts of Dharamsala or even nearby places like Palampur), but mornings and evenings are wonderful. Basically, try and NOT do the touristy stuff and you will have fun.

*PS: I am going to Dharamsala for the IPL matches on May 17 & 19

hey RossT, informative post!

a few questions for you...

1. Im planning a weeklong trip, reaching on a Monday n depart on Sunday. Could you give me an idea about the budget hotel rates there during MAY/June which is kinda the peak season.
(single basic room - cheapest)

2. How do the weekdays look wrt traffic and no. of people? Would it be as bad during this time?

Ross, I have you been to McLeod Ganj during the IPL matches before? Allow lots of time for everything. I loved the mayhem, but I have never seen traffic jams like that anywhere ever in my entire life. A taxi driver friend told me that it had taken him more than three hours to travel a few hundred metres down Bagsu Road the year before! I had no sense whatsoever that he was exaggerating. The day after the tournament last year the traffic was backed up almost all of the way to Bagsu!
Stay in McLeod Ganj or Lower Dharamsala. Don't bring heavy bags as you may get dropped off a long way from your hotel. Do not attempt to venture to Bagsu or Dharamkot except on foot.
That said, it was a lot of fun. I didn't go to the match but my son did. He had a fantastic time and told me that the stadium is world class. (As were the prices of drinks and snacks.)He even managed to party with one of the teams in Mcleod Ganj afterward. (It helped that he is not a big cricket fan. He behaved normally, so he didn't get kicked out.)
The best time to go if you want to avoid hordes of domestic tourists and too many foreign tourists that looked like they escaped from a circus, is after the end of August. (During school holidays, which vary by state, the town is crowded, even -- but not so badly -- on weekdays.) September, October, and November are good months to go. December, January, and February are also good if you don't mind the cold.

Hi Preeti

Glad I found this thread, so much useful information.

I am also a solo female traveller planing to be in Dharamsala from beginning of June. Your interests seem very similar to mine, and would really like to meet up in Dharamsala (I will be coming from Rishikesh) when I get there. Like-minded company is always great when you are far away from home, alone in a new place.

Hi guitarboy,

Some of the backpackers' lodges charge as less as 450-500 per night, but these are very basic, just a cot/bed and a washroom. Everything else (hot bucket of water, tea etc) will be charged. However, these are economical especially, as I mentioned earlier, if you plan to be out most of the time. These lodges are preferred by foreign travellers. There are also some homestays in Dharamkot village, a few smaller Tibetan lodges etc. Best to look up the numbers on the Internet and book rooms in advance.

As for the traffic, May-June being the holiday season, it will be at its chaotic best!